As you prepare for the onslaught of arguments in favor of digital identities, the metaverse, the internet of things, the internet of bodies, and electric cars, please consider what could go wrong and weigh the cost carefully. ⚖️ In philosophy, one-sided arguments are a particular form of argument called the pro-con, or stacking-the-deck fallacy. Here’s how it works: Imagine a deck of cards and separate them by color into red cards and black cards. The black cards are all the things you want people to know. The red cards are all the things you don’t want people to know. All of it is designed for an intentional direction of social change. In the coming year or so you’ll begin to hear a barrage of arguments in favor of digital identities for everyone. They’ll be used to secure voting, financial transactions, and healthcare records. You’ll need a digital identity for all forms of digital records like transcripts and deeds to property, too. These compelling arguments are the black cards. But what could go wrong? What are some of the red cards? Here’s one: What if the power goes out for a week during a hurricane or ice storm? A digital identity is worthless for buying and selling in a digital economy if there’s no power. Adam and Eve didn’t weigh the red and black cards carefully when they were given the choice. Will we make the same mistake? #philosophy #digitalidentity

Posted by Doug Carter at 2022-10-02 12:12:38 UTC